Archduke Artisan's Suspenseful Contest
by Starship Artisan
Summary: Are you a writer who wants to write suspense stories? Are you just a writer who loves writing? Are you wondering why I keep asking rhetorical questions? If you answered yes or no to any of these questions, then this contest is for you! More details and an example inside! Example summary: What is Archduke Link up to, anyhow?


**Disclaimer: **We do not own SSBB or any related franchises.

A/N: That's right, it's contest time! If you want to see the rules, feel free to skip to them. The following fic is an example written by the hosts.

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All is silent in the main auditorium. Quiet murmurs in German echoes from the seats as the crowd waits for the speaker to walk out on the stage. A light flickers on, and a tall figure walks across the stage, his steel toed boots rumbled on the wood paneled stage. White glare reflects off the various badges adorning his chest. The crowd utters not a word. Reaching the podium, the man gazes out of the shapeless bodies, knowing every eye was looking back at him. In a militant tone, he began to address the people; his voice like a knife cutting through the silence.

"You all know who I am," the man begins. "Archduke Link of Hyrule, wearer of the Minish Cap, protector of the Ocarina, sounder of the Windwaker, holder of the Holy Triforce, and the Hero of Time."

Leaning forward slightly, his eyes pierced the darkness, his green cap shifting slightly on his golden hair.

"We are at war, Hyrule, we have always been. A war across time with the forces of Ganon."

The room remains quiet, as everyone continues to give their full attention to the Archduke. "Throughout the ages we have battled. Children are going to battle as their fathers die on the ground before them. Only once has the castle ever fallen, and we got it back, but the war continued as it always had."

Slamming his fist on the podium, he continues, "And now once again the enemy is up against our walls, and they might make it through once more, and this time, we have no savior to get it back. So I say to you, we need every man, woman, child, and Picori we can to hold the gates, ready to die in the name of salvation!"

His voice rising in volume through the auditorium."If we don't push them back, the last fortress of good in this world will fall! I will be there myself on the walls, killing as many as I can! We shall fight with growing confidence and strength, we shall defend our Island of hope. Whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on Zora's Domain, we shall fight in the Sacred Grove, we shall fight in the plains of Hyrule field and in the depths of the villages, and we shall fight in the rolling hills of the Gerudo valley; we shall never surrender!"

The people roar as Link steps back from the podium, reaching to the scabbard at his hip and drawing the master sword. He raises it into the air above him, holding it straight as an arrow above his rigid body. Glowing as a symbol of the possibility of hope, an icon under which victory might be achievable. The sword holds the crowd's attention with a fever, nationalistic victory cries raise the sound levels to blaring heights, and the people seem to lean towards the Archduke, hands outstretched towards both the man and what he stands for.

A figure looms on the beams of the ceiling, and she holds a bow with steady hands; aiming it with pinpoint precision at the Archduke's heart, and waits for her opportunity to strike. The speech is at its high point, and the theater is about to turn dark for the presentation to follow. She has to act swiftly if her plan is to succeed.

Aiming in the dark would be difficult, but she's considered the best for a reason.

The Archduke begins to lower the sword; the lights turn off, immersing the theater in crowd's cries rage on, and the guards are having trouble holding them back from the stage.

This undying undulation presents the perfect chance for the assassin to strike.

There is a thud in the dark, and a yell of surprise. The lights switch back on and the theater is in a panic. A man was on the ground, and others hustling away the Archduke to safety.

Screams fill the auditorium; everybody is sure that Archduke Link is dead. There is blood spread across the stage from the motionless body.

The arrow sailed through the air, but it missed the target and lodged itself into the jugular of a guard, who lurched and fell to the ground in one fell swoop.

She has to get out of there quickly and return to her duties as the Archduchess of Hyrule before anybody notices her absence. While they searched for the would-be assassin, Zelda returns to her seat in an isolated balcony. Soon after, a guard approaches and offers to escort her out of the building and into safety. Nobody had seen her attempt, after all.

She would have to try harder next time.

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Now for the main event...

Starship Artisan and Archduke Langus would like to present to you:

(confetti rains down from everywhere)

ARCHDUKE ARTISAN'S SUSPENSEFUL CONTEST

Yes, you heard me right. We thought it'd be fun to host a contest featuring suspenseful stories to keep everyone on the edge, and are not necessarily in the Action genre!

Now, here are the rules:

-Must be at least 100 words, and please try not to go over 30 000. We will give a bit of leeway if need be, but please try to skim it down a bit.

-Rating can be from K to M, but keep in mind the rules and regulations for this website (I.E: try not to lemon it up).

-AU's are allowed.

-OC's are allowed, but **must** be restricted to small roles (ex: clerk in a grocery store) and can only be in your story for a short period of time.

-Any and all characters who are either playable or an assist trophy are allowed.

-Any pairings are allowed no matter what kind (het/yaoi/yuri/incest/etc).

-**Make sure that there is suspense! **The sub-genre can vary of course, but there needs to be some form of suspense in your story or you will be penalized. Keep us guessing! Add some mystery!

-Any genre is allowed, not just action and adventure! Have an idea for a suspenseful romance? Go for it! Suspenseful horror? Nice! Suspenseful comedy? Of course! Anything is fine, just so long as it is suspenseful (should I stop using that word? I don't think so).

-Please use proper grammar and spelling. We won't penalize for small errors, but if your story is riddled with them be prepared for the storm (Langus can vouch for me, I go hardcore). Please consider using a beta.

-The deadline for this contest is **September 31st. **If you _need _an extension then you must be prepared to give a very good reason.

-You must put "For ADSA's Suspenseful Contest" in your summary.

Alright those are the rules! Now start writ—

Wait a moment, I almost forgot!

We will announce the top **five** winners, and here is the prize list:

**Prizes include...! **

**1st Place will receive a twoshot gift fic/request from EACH of the hosts AND an invitation for the fast growing website, Archive of our Own!**

**2nd Place will receive a oneshot gift fic/request from EACH of the hosts!**

**3rd Place will receive a oneshot collaboration gift fic/request from the hosts. **

**4th and 5th will receive a _very_ honorable mention. **

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That's it folks! If you would like to enter, it'd be appreciated if you drop a review or PM, and please let either Archduke Langus or myself know when you're finished!

And also, if you have any questions, please contact us and we will do our best to answer!

**BEST OF LUCK TO EVERYONE! **


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